We investigated associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL22 gene (rs1026788, rs2227472, rs2227491, rs2227485, rs1179249, rs2046068,rs2227473, and rs7314777) and the risk of HBV-related chronic liver diseases within a Han population in Northeast China.
We engineered <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i> to produce IL-22 (<i>L. reuteri</i>/IL-22) and fed them to mice along with the ethanol diet; these mice had reduced liver damage, inflammation and bacterial translocation to the liver compared with mice fed an isogenic control strain and upregulated expression of REG3G in intestine.However, <i>L. reuteri</i>/IL-22 did not reduce ethanol-induced liver disease in <i>Reg3g<sup>-/-</sup></i> mice.
Since Th17-associated cytokines are associated with the progression of liver disease in HCV patients, IL-17A and IL-21 can be used as important biological markers for evaluating the immunopathogenesis of chronic hepatitis.
In summary, IL-21 has a causal role in the development of severe liver inflammation, which is upregulated in HB-ACLF and associated with severity of liver disease.
To clarify the role of IL-22 up-regulation in the pathogenesis of liver diseases, liver-specific IL-22 transgenic (IL-22TG) mice, under the control of albumin promoter, were developed.
In conclusion, hydrodynamic gene delivery of IL-22 protects against liver injury induced by a variety of toxins, suggesting the therapeutic potential of IL-22 in treating human liver disease.